An Orleans Parish jail inmate died Thursday morning from a heart attack, the Sheriff's Office reported.

David O'Neal, 44, collapsed in his cell about 1:20 a.m. His cellmates alerted the jail's staff that the inmate was ailing, according to Sheriff Marlin Gusman's office.

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O'Neal died at the Interim LSU Public Hospital about an hour after he collapsed. He was treated by medical staff, as well as EMS at the jail.

According to the Sheriff's Office, which cited a preliminary autopsy by the Orleans Parish coroner's office, O'Neal died from "acute myocardial infarction with sudden cardiac arrest as the cause of death."

But family members who viewed a photograph of O'Neal's face when they went to see his body at the coroner's office said they doubted that conclusion. Lisa Christmas, a niece who was O'Neal's next-of-kin, said her uncle's face appeared swollen and bloody, making her wonder if he was beaten or "in a scuffle" before his death.

O'Neal had no history of heart problems, she said.

John Gagliano, the chief investigator for the coroner's office, said there is no evidence to support an accusation of foul play. A jail spokesman said O'Neal suffered no injuries, except perhaps a minor head laceration when he collapsed.

O'Neal was actually an inmate assigned to the state Department of Corrections; he pleaded guilty last fall to simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling. He was slated to be released this summer, Christmas said, adding that she actually received a letter from her uncle on Thursday in which he expressed excitement about returning home.

While O'Neal had a previous criminal record and "wasn't a perfect person," his family cared about him, she said. "He was hard working and tried to keep a job," Christmas said.

In late March, Shedrick Godfrey, 48, died of an apparent heart attack while working a community service detail with other inmates. About an hour later, Chris Blevins, 22, died from a stab wound to the chest suffered during a lunchtime fight with another inmate.

More recently, a 31-year-old man who had just been booked at the jail hung himself with his own T-shirt while in a holding cell at the Intake and Processing Center.